Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points as Oklahoma City remained the NBA’s only team with a perfect home record, as the Thunder posted a 119-103 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday.
The Thunder improved to 14-0 at home while shake off a season-worst run of two losses in three games. The Grizzlies have dropped back-to-back games and three of their past five.
Oklahoma City seemingly took control with a 12-2 run that started late in the third quarter and bled into the fourth, and they stretched their lead as high as 18 less than two minutes into the final quarter.
But Memphis didn’t go away, cutting the deficit to four on Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s 3-pointer with less than six minutes remaining.
The Thunder immediately answered with back-to-back 3-pointers from Gilgeous-Alexander and Branden Carlson to push the lead back to 10. That stretch eventually ballooned to a 14-2 run in which Gilgeous-Alexander had seven points and a pair of assists to virtually put the game away with less than two minutes remaining.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 10 rebounds, eight assists and four steals.
Jalen Williams added 24 points for Oklahoma City, while Ajay Mitchell scored 16 off the bench.
Oklahoma City typically uses a two-big starting lineup with 7-footers Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. However, with Holmgren out due to illness and Hartenstein sidelined because of right soleus soreness, Carlson made his first career start. He finished with 11 points in 25 minutes.
The Thunder also were without Alex Caruso, Aaron Wiggins and Ousmane Dieng.
The Grizzlies were plenty short-handed themselves, with Ja Morant missing his third consecutive game with a left ankle sprain, Brandon Clarke out with a right calf strain just two games after making his season debut, and John Konchar and Zach Edey remaining out.
Caldwell-Pope and Cedric Coward scored 16 each to lead Memphis.
After a tight first quarter, the Thunder led by as many as 17 in the second thanks to their defense.
Oklahoma City scored 12 points off seven Memphis turnovers in the second, helped by four steals in the quarter from Kenrich Williams.
Williams wound up with 11 points, six rebounds, four steals and three assists.
The Thunder outscored the Grizzlies 56-28 in the paint and scored 31 points off Memphis’ 23 turnovers.
–Field Level Media
